Blackburn Rovers boss Tony Mowbray questioned the standard of refereeing in the Championship after his side went down 2-1 to Leeds United on Saturday.
A Patrick Bamford penalty and Jack Harrison strike were enough to see Marcelo Bielsa's side take the points with Mowbray seeing the 30th-minute spot kick as the contest's turning point.
Referee Gavin Ward pointed to the spot after Tosin Adarabioyo brought down Luke Ayling after the Leeds right-back was put through by Tyler Roberts. Bamford duly slotted home for his first goal in ten matches, with Jack Harrison doubling the hosts' advantage five minutes later to give the hosts a lead they would not surrender.
Following the match Rovers boss Mowbray accused Ward of 'spoiling' the game.
"I think it was a pretty intense game," he said following the match. "When you come to Elland Road it's always going to be tense. You have to match their energy and their legs, their athleticism. I thought we did that, particularly well. The first half hour I'm not sure they had a shot.
"In the intensity of the game the referee gives a penalty that - I've seen it back a few times on my laptop - it's soft to say the best, never a penalty to say the worst.
"I think he spoiled a little bit of the game. The context the penalty was given, it didn't fit in the game that was a lot of physicality, a lot of tackles, a lot of energy, a lot players that were going 100 per cent and then he gives a soft penalty really. That was the frustration".
Mowbray, whose side sit 18th in the Championship table, then questioned the standard of refereeing in the Championship as a whole.
"We had one at Preston the other week. I think officials...you're journalists who've been in the game a long time, have probably watched it a long time, is the standard dropping?" he asked.
"Is it really poor in the Championship this year or is it just me? It feels as if that game was a bit too much for him. It feels harsh also. A young guy, making his living as a referee but it felt to me as if in the context of the game it as a very soft penalty that gave them an opportunity to get in front."
Mowbray would also go on to lament his side's inability to take advantage of 'nervousness' from Leeds.
"They're a really good team. I don't want to come here and say we deserved this, we deserved that because Leeds are a very good team. We spent a lot of time out of possession because they're so good with the ball, but they didn't have hundreds of shots.
"I think we felt pretty comfortable. When we got back to 2-1 there was a nervousness about it. I think you have to sort of feed off that. The frustration for us and our team was that we didn't have the quality to prey on that nervousness at 2-1 for such a long time.
"The last 20 minutes I felt that we could get something from this game and it never materialised."
Next up for Leeds after the international break is a trip to face Luton Town, while Rovers host Barnsley after the international break.
Visit our dedicated Leeds United page for the latest news, views and analysis from Elland Road.
Visit our dedicated Leeds United page for the latest news, views and analysis from Elland Road.
